batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l49613-l49779
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l49613-l49779
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto LXV. The Tidings. / BOOK VI.(895) / Canto IV. The March. / Canto XI.
The Summons.; lines 49613-49779
start: '49613'
end: '49779'
translation: The Ramayan of Valmiki
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Rāma argues that a suppliant must be protected even if he may be an enemy,
accepts Vibhishaṇ, hears his intelligence about Rāvaṇ and Laṅkā, vows Rāvaṇ's
destruction, consecrates Vibhishaṇ as king, and accepts counsel to seek the Ocean's
aid before lying on sacred grass by the shore.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Rāma says that even a stranger or enemy who seeks shelter should be welcomed
and aided.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Rāma cites an old tale of a dove that welcomed the hunter who had killed its
mate and fed him with its own flesh.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Rāma quotes Kaṇdu's teaching that a suppliant should not be struck and should
be sheltered even at the cost of one's life.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Vibhishaṇ descends from the air with four attendants and bows at Rāma's feet.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Vibhishaṇ identifies himself as Rāvaṇ's brother, says he has fled Laṅkā, friends,
and wealth, and seeks refuge with Rāma.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Rāma asks Vibhishaṇ to report the foe's strengths and weaknesses.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Vibhishaṇ describes Rāvaṇ's boon, Kumbhakarṇa's might, Prahasta, Indrajit,
and the many shape-changing giants in Laṅkā.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Rāma vows that Rāvaṇ, his kin, his captain, and his son will die and that
Vibhishaṇ will reign in Rāvaṇ's place.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Rāma embraces Vibhishaṇ and orders Lakshmaṇ to bring sea-water for his consecration
as king.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: Consecrating drops are shed over Vibhishaṇ's head while shouts hail him as
king and lord of Laṅkā.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: Hanumān asks how the Vānar host can cross the sea to the farther coast.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: Vibhishaṇ advises that Rāma should entreat the mighty Sea for aid because
Ocean will respect a prince of Sagar's lineage.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:13
text: A bed of tender sacred grass is spread on the ocean shore, and Rāma lies there
at day's close like fire on an altar.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Rāma / son of Raghu
description: Prince who accepts Vibhishaṇ's claim, vows protection to suppliants,
promises Rāvaṇ's defeat, and prepares to entreat the Sea.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Vibhishaṇ
description: Rāvaṇ's brother, a Rākshas chief who flees Laṅkā, seeks Rāma's refuge,
gives counsel, and is consecrated as king of Laṅkā.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Rāvaṇ
description: Vibhishaṇ's brother and ruler opposed by Rāma; he has a boon protecting
him from several classes of beings and is named as the one whose place Vibhishaṇ
will take.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Lakshmaṇ
description: Rāma's brother, addressed by Rāma and ordered to bring sea-water for
Vibhishaṇ's consecration.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:8
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Vānar king
description: The monkey king addressed by Rāma and asked to bring Vibhishaṇ to him.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Hanumān
description: Vānar who asks how the host may cross the sea.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Kaṇdu
description: Ancient truth-loving sage cited by Rāma for a verse about protecting
suppliants.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Dove in the old tale
description: Bird remembered for welcoming and feeding the hunter who slew its mate.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Fowler
description: Weary hunter described as the slayer of the dove's mate and recipient
of the dove's hospitality.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Mighty Sea / Ocean
description: Personified sea whom Rāma is advised to entreat for aid in crossing.
role_refs:
- role:14
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: protector of suppliants
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Rāma says his vow forbids rejecting one who seeks shelter, even Rāvaṇ himself.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: avenger against Rāvaṇ
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Rāma vows not to return home until Rāvaṇ and his kin have paid with death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: ritual sponsor of new king
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Rāma orders sea-water brought and has consecrating drops shed over Vibhishaṇ.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:4
label: suppliant refugee
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Vibhishaṇ says he has fled Laṅkā and relies on Rāma as refuge.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: informer and adviser
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He reports the enemy's powers and advises Rāma to entreat the Sea.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:9
- id: role:6
label: consecrated king of Laṅkā
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He is hailed as king and lord of Laṅkā after consecrating drops are shed
over him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: enemy ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Rāvaṇ is described as the powerful foe whom Rāma vows to kill and replace
with Vibhishaṇ.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: ritual assistant
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Rāma orders Lakshmaṇ to bring sea-water for Vibhishaṇ's consecration.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:9
label: ally and messenger
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Rāma addresses the Vānar king and asks him to bring Vibhishaṇ into his presence.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:10
label: questioner about passage
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Hanumān asks how the host may cross the sea.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:11
label: ancient authority on refuge
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Rāma cites Kaṇdu's verse as a rule for sheltering suppliants.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:12
label: exemplar of hospitality to an enemy
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The dove welcomes and feeds the fowler who killed its mate.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:13
label: enemy guest in exemplum
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The fowler is both slayer of the dove's mate and the weary guest whom the
dove refreshes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:14
label: personified helper to be entreated
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Vibhishaṇ advises Rāma to entreat the mighty Sea to lend aid.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sea-water of consecration
literal_form: sea-water brought for drops shed over Vibhishaṇ's head
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:2
label: ocean crossing barrier
literal_form: boisterous tide and farther coast separating the army from Laṅkā
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:3
label: sacred grass bed on the shore
literal_form: bed of tender sacred grass spread on the ocean shore
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:4
label: fire on an altar simile
literal_form: Rāma lying like fire upon an altar
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:5
label: shape-changing giants
literal_form: giants in Laṅkā who wear varied shapes at will
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Rāma states the law of refuge
summary: Rāma reasons that Vibhishaṇ may seek advantage but insists that anyone
who comes as a suppliant must be protected, supporting the claim with a dove tale
and Kaṇdu's verse.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Vibhishaṇ's surrender and report
summary: Vibhishaṇ descends, bows, declares his loss and dependence on Rāma, and
reports Rāvaṇ's boons, allies, and Laṅkā's forces.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:3
label: Vow and consecration of Vibhishaṇ
summary: Rāma vows Rāvaṇ's destruction, promises Vibhishaṇ the throne, embraces
him, and has him consecrated with sea-water.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:4
label: Counsel to seek the Sea's aid
summary: Hanumān asks about crossing the sea; Vibhishaṇ advises Rāma to entreat
the mighty Sea, and Rāma lies on a sacred grass bed by the shore at day's close.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: protection of the suppliant enemy
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: Rāma declares a binding vow to shelter anyone who seeks refuge, including
enemies, and cites authoritative examples of such protection.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy has no exact asylum or refuge motif; 'covenant'
is an approximate family because the passage emphasizes a solemn vow and obligation.
- id: motif:2
label: defecting kinsman becomes royal ally
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Vibhishaṇ, brother of Rāvaṇ, flees to Rāma, provides intelligence, is promised
Rāvaṇ's throne, and is consecrated as king of Laṅkā.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents political and ritual legitimation but does not narrate
the later fulfillment of the kingship.
- id: motif:3
label: ritual enthronement with water
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Rāma orders sea-water for Vibhishaṇ, and consecrating drops are shed while
he is acclaimed king and lord of Laṅkā.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The ritual is brief in this passage and not fully described.
- id: motif:4
label: hero seeks aid from a personified sea before crossing
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: The army must cross the tide; Vibhishaṇ advises Rāma to entreat the mighty
Sea for support, after which Rāma lies on sacred grass by the ocean shore.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage prepares the crossing but does not yet narrate the Sea's response
or the actual crossing.
- id: motif:5
label: enemy made invulnerable by a boon with exceptions
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Vibhishaṇ reports that Rāvaṇ received a boon allowing him to withstand foes
and preventing his death by fiend, snake, Gandharva, or god.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The exact exception or vulnerability is not stated in this passage.
- id: motif:6
label: shapeshifting hostile host
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: Vibhishaṇ says ten million giants dwell in Laṅkā and wear varied shapes at
will.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports the capacity but does not show an individual transformation.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly compares Rāma's duty to shelter a suppliant with an
old exemplum of a dove showing hospitality to the killer of its mate.
claim_level: same_function
target: hospitality-to-enemy exemplum within the passage
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal comparison made by the speaker, not evidence for
historical relationship with another tradition.
- id: claim:2
claim: Rāma's acceptance and consecration of Vibhishaṇ fits a royal-legitimacy pattern
in which a rival ruler's kinsman gains authority through alliance and ritual recognition.
claim_level: same_motif
target: royal_legitimacy
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The taxonomy match is general; the passage does not describe a completed
reign.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Rāma's opening speech on Vibhishaṇ and refuge
quote_or_summary: Rāma says Vibhishaṇ may seek rule in his brother's place, yet
he must aid and welcome those who pray for shelter, whether friends or foes, and
his vow forbids rejecting even Rāvaṇ if he came for refuge.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, dove exemplum in Rāma's speech
quote_or_summary: Rāma recalls a dove that conquered fear and hate, welcomed the
slayer of its mate, and fed the weary fowler with its own flesh.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Kaṇdu verse quoted by Rāma
quote_or_summary: Kaṇdu's verse commands that a suppliant asking shelter with beseeching
hands should not be struck, even if he is a mortal foe, and should be saved even
at the cost of life.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, beginning of Canto XIX
quote_or_summary: After Rāma owns his claim, Vibhishaṇ comes down from the air with
four attendants, bows at Rāma's feet, names himself Rāvaṇ's brother, and says
he has fled Laṅkā, friends, and wealth to rely on Rāma.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Rāma questions Vibhishaṇ
quote_or_summary: Rāma asks Vibhishaṇ to speak so that he may know the strength
and weakness of the foe.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Vibhishaṇ's report on Laṅkā
quote_or_summary: Vibhishaṇ reports Rāvaṇ's boon, Kumbhakarṇa's might, Prahasta's
strength, Indrajit's invulnerability in arms, and ten million shape-changing flesh-eating
giants in Laṅkā.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Rāma's vow against Rāvaṇ
quote_or_summary: Rāma says the king, captain, and son will fall, Vibhishaṇ will
reign in Rāvaṇ's stead, and he will not return home until Rāvaṇ and his kin die
for their sin.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Vibhishaṇ's consecration
quote_or_summary: Vibhishaṇ offers to guide the army; Rāma embraces him, tells Lakshmaṇ
to bring sea-water, and consecrating drops are shed over Vibhishaṇ as he is hailed
king and lord of Laṅkā.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, counsel about crossing the sea
quote_or_summary: Hanumān asks how the Vānar host may cross the tide; Vibhishaṇ
advises that Rāma should entreat the mighty Sea, whose channels were dug by Sagar's
sons and who will not scorn Sagar's descendant.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 49613-49779, Rāma on the ocean shore
quote_or_summary: After accepting the counsel, a bed of tender sacred grass is spread
on the ocean shore, and Rāma lies there at day's close like fire upon an altar.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Taxonomy mapping
is approximate for refuge/asylum because no exact motif family was provided.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
All evidence is derived only from the supplied public-domain passage and metadata.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l49613-l49779
passage_sha256=ecb2725c8459ad448526680d0eb256ce77560707c4683dc0304c759fb48fdb40